Self-service computer systems have replaced assisted-service computer systems in many business environments today. For example, self-service computer systems may be found in banking, retail, hospitality, travel, entertainment, medical, and other environments.
Self-service computer systems allow customers to complete transactions without assistance; however, there are instances where customers require some level of assistance, such as in quick service or pre-order pre-pay venues.
In quick service restaurants, it is often difficult to predict demand for various menu items. As a result, certain items can be unavailable.
A good example would be French fries where the cook is attempting to balance having just enough fries on hand to meet demand, but not too much that a portion of a batch would spoil and have to be wasted. Managing exactly what to prepare, how much and when to prepare it is a complex business problem for a quick service restaurant to manage.
Occasional food delays or out-of-stock items are not uncommon at quick service restaurants. There are typically two cases of delays: delays for pre-prepared items and delays for made-to-order items. Pre-prepared items are items that should always be prepared for immediate consumption. Made-to-order items are made after an order is placed.
In a store that does not have self service, both types of delay are easily handled by the clerk, who tells a customer an ordered item is either out of stock or will take a few extra minutes to prepare and asks if they want to wait. In contrast, in a restaurant where customers are ordering from a self-service kiosk, there is no current method to alert the kiosk customer of these two types of delays. As such, customers who order items on the kiosk that are currently unavailable but are available for purchase become frustrated because their food may not be delivered for up to fifteen minutes after the order was placed.
A good example is a chicken restaurant where the cook times are relatively long such that any out of stock situation could result in up to a fifteen minute wait for customers ordering such out of stock items. This length of wait would be unacceptable to customers and negate the benefit from self-service kiosk ordering.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of managing unavailable items in a self-service environment.